RALEIGH:  The North Carolina Community Colleges Foundation will announce a substantial gift to its endowment on Thursday, October 12 at a 9:00 a.m. dedication ceremony at the North Carolina Community College System Office located at 200 West Jones Street in Raleigh.

The lobby of the Caswell Building, home of the North Carolina Community College System offices, will be dedicated to the memory of Governor Luther Hartwell Hodges.

Luther H. Hodges, Jr. has made a generous donation to the North Carolina Community Colleges Foundation in memory of his father’s extraordinary contributions to the establishment of the North Carolina Community College System.

Hodges served as governor from 1954 – 1961. During that period and under his leadership a network of 18 industrial education centers was created. These centers were subsequently merged with one technical institute and two junior colleges to form the fledgling community college system in 1963.

At the time of Hodges’ death the NCCCS served 400,000 students. The NCCCS now serves 759,000 students and is the third largest system in the United States. The System is the state=s primary agency for delivery of job training, literacy and adult education programs.

The North Carolina Community Colleges Foundation was established in 1986 to sustain the mission and programs of the NCCCS. After several dormant years, the Foundation was reorganized in 1998 under the leadership of President H. Martin Lancaster. J. Gregory Poole, Chairman Emeritus of Gregory Poole Equipment Company, served at the first Foundation Chairman.

Foundation Chairman Stephen P. Zelnak, Chairman and CEO of Martin Marietta Materials Inc., is now leading the capital campaign to raise at least $5 million for an endowment to fund system-wide efforts on behalf of community colleges. The substantial gift to the Foundation from the Hodges family will be announced at the dedication.

###

Back to previous page.